Spring 2014 is a season of firsts for Downtown Alive!, which turned 31 last fall. The free concert series presents a big band for the first time.

DTA is also reducing its spring schedule from 11 to seven shows. A new Battle of the Bands series allows upstart bands to serve as opening acts.

DTA will even unveil its first mixed drinks bar, a portable contraption built by musician Wilson Savoy.

Singer Johanna Divine of Lafayette has butterflies about a personal first — her debut performance with a big band. But Divine is ready for the challenge.

“It’s a little daunting, but I love the music so much,” said Divine. “As a singer who’s used to performing with a duo or a three- or four-piece group, to have 18 people with you on stage, is a lot of power and energy. You have to match that or bring that.

“As a singer and performer, it’s a step up for me for sure. But it’s such a great opportunity for me and for the audience.”

The audience can jump, jive and wail at Parc Sans Souci Friday when the UL Lafayette Big Band swings with Johanna Divine to kick off the spring DTA season. Veteran vocalist Pasty Bienvenu of Lafayette and Chris Hochkeppel, son of UL Big Band director William Hochkeppel, will also perform.

Ella Fitzgerald’s “That Old Black Magic,” Rosemary Clooney’s “Shine on Harvest Moon” and “Every Day I Have the Blues,” done Joe Williams/Count Basie style, are among the scheduled selections.

UL’s 18-piece big band is still flying high from its recent performance at Angelle Hall with the Grammy winning-quartet, New York Voices. But UL has never played DTA, a showcase that would expose them to lots of new listeners.

UL has had limited rehearsals with the singers. But William Hochkeppel didn’t want to pass up the opportunity and learning experience for the students.

“The students are under the gun to learn the stuff fast,” said Hochkeppel. “But that’s part of what we’re trying to help them learn to do.

“This is more of a festival, but they’re good at being able to go from a party crowd to a concert crowd. All the big bands have done that. Sometimes they’re playing dances. Even famous people like Benny Goodman. They wanted to play concerts, but they also had to play dances, weddings, and you name it.

“I joke from the stage, ‘Ladies and gentlemen. We do weddings, funerals and fais do-dos.’ Every once in a while, somebody will take me up on that.”

Kate Durio, director of marketing and events for Downtown Lafayette, said the big band kickoff falls in line with DTA’s shorter, but more intense schedule. Usually 11 shows are held in the spring. But organizers researched 30 years of concerts and discovered the first two and last two shows draw the smallest crowds.

So four shows were cut, with those funds going toward booking more prominent bands. That allowed DTA to book the Marshall Tucker Band, Southern rock legends who scored gold records in the 1970s.

Harley Davidson owners will be holding a state rally at the Cajundome that same weekend.

“They’re talking about 7,500 Harley owners coming from all over the country,” said Durio. “The Louisiana rally is the first one of the year in the country.

“They’re really exciting about this band. On the Thursday night, they have Wayne Toups at the Cajundome and Saturday they have REO Speedwagon. They’ll do a parade of flags from the Cajundome to Downtown Alive with police escorts.”

Friday’s DTA will also mark the debut of the Battle of the Bands, an opportunity for local bands to open for the headlining groups. After interested bands posted performance videos on Facebook, DTA officials picked four groups – One Trick Pony (Friday), Broken Mojo (March 28), Sour Sedans (May 2) and Cory Landry (May 9).

DTA will then host online voting forms where fans can vote, until May 22, for their favorite band. The winner gets to perform at another DTA or downtown Lafayette event.